Venetian blind structure



www mm ES wm .I Hm .N wm T m E V April 18, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 28, 1946 April i8, 1950 w. H. wEsT VENETIANBLIND STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 28, 1946 Patented Apr. 18, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,504,771 vENE'riAN BLIND STRUCTURE William H. West, Kansas City, Mo.

Application October 28, 1946, Serial No. 706,254

This invention relates to closures of the kind adapted to hinder sight, or keep out light and other elements, and more particularly to collapsible Venetian blind structure, the primary object being to provide such structure capable of movement to and from a closed position, and when so closed to present a unitary panel, virtually impervious to said elements.

Venetian blinds are now generally well known and take many differing forms, the usual type having numerous parallel slats placed horizontally one above the other and capable of being raised or lowered, as well as having mechanism for tilting the slats to desired angles to admit varying amounts of light or air and being made whereby the slats overlap when the blind is fully closed.

An important object of this invention is to provide Venetian blinds structure of the aforesaid character having specially formed slats designed to interlock when the same are in overlapping relation, and additionally to provide supporting means for the slats adapted to permit shiftingr the blind from a partially collapsed to a fully extended condition when the slats are overlapped, whereby the slats automatically interlock to form a unitary panel.

Another object of this invention is to provide Venetian blind structure having a number of slats, each being provided with outturned, opposed flanges, formed to interlock with the flanges of adjacent slats when overlapped, and having the supporting tapes therefor, .made from flexible material to yieldably hold the slats in a position permitting such interlocking and capable of allowing extension of the blind for locking on the window casing, thereby presenting a continuous panel formed from the numerous interlocked slats.

Other objects include the manner of notching the slats to receive the usual underlying cross bars interconnecting the supporting tapes; the way in which the blind is locked to the casing; and the manner in which bodily swinging movement is prevented in the blind by the use of a specially formed bracket mounted on the window casing,

Other objects will be made clear or become apparent during the course of the following specification referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a Venetian blind structure made in accordance with my present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view similar to 4 Claims. (Cl. 16o-168) Figure 3, showing the slats overlapped, but in a partially collapsed condition.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line III-III of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view similar to Figure 3, but showing the slats fully open and partially raised or collapsed.

Figure 5 is fragmentary transverse crosssectional view showing the holding bracket in operative position.

Figure 6 is a view similar to that`shown in Figure 5 showing the bracket in the open in-` operative position.

Figure '7 is a top plan view of one of the slats showing its association with the holding tapes, and the notches formed in said slats; and

Figure 8 a fragmentary end elevational View, showing a modified form of supporting structure for the slats.

In the drawings, the Venetian blind structure about to be described was installed on a conventional window casing broadly designated by the numeral I0, and having relatively shiftable windows I2. Obviously such closure may take any form such as a door or the like, and instead of the blind being disposed to hang from the uppermost sill I4 of casing I0 as shown, it may be mounted to hang from the outermost panel I6 thereof as is well known in the art. In such case, slats I8 of the blind are lengthened to overlap side strips 20 of casing I0.

The box type blind has been chosen for illustration, comprising a channel member 22 having outturned flanges 24 to serve as fastening means therefor to sill I4 and a flexible bracket 26, having downturned ends and supported by member 22, rotatably support opposed pins 28 which are inserted into the opposite ends of a head rail 30. A cord 32 is looped over a pulley wheel 34 fixed to one of the pins 28 and downward pulling on the ends thereof causes rail 30 to tilt in the usual manner. Here again, the usual worm-gear type of tilting mechanism may be used if desired and all be mounted within the box-like member 22.

Simultaneous tilting movement of slats I8 is accomplished through tapes 36 which may either take the form of opposed stretches, one on each edge of slats I8 or a continuous band looped over head rail 30 and bottom rail 38 and fixed thereto. Actuation of rail 30 therefore causes resultant tipping of slats I8 to and from the overlapped condition shown in Figure 2.

The means for mounting the slats I8 on tapes 36 shown in Figures 1 to '7 inclusive comprises cross-bars 40 which interconnect that portion of the tape 36 on each side of slats I8 in the usual manner.

Raising and lowering of the blind is accomplished through cords 42, one of which passes over a roller 44 in channel member 22 and at one end thereof, and is then threaded through openings in member 22, head rail 38, slats I8 and bottom rail 38, whereupon the end is tied as indicated in Figure 4. Another cord 42 passes over roller 44 and a second roller 44 intermediate the ends of member 88 to pass through openings in slats I8 in the same manner. These openings are formed as at 46 and shown in Figure 7. Raising of the blind in this manner causes tapes 36 to fold 'as is clear in Figure 4.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 show clearly the manner of forming slats I8 to the end that interlocking may occur when they are in an overlapped condition. This formation includes turning or otherwise forming the longitudinal edges of the slats I8 to present laterally extending anges 48. These flanges are curved inwardly as shown and extend in opposite directions to the end that each will cooperate with proximal anges 48 on adjacent slats I6 thereabove and immediately therebelow.

Depending below member 22 and extending the full length thereof is a cross bar 49 having the same curvature as slats I8 to cooperate with the flange 48 on the uppermost slat I8 when the same are moved to the closed position. The flexibility of brackets 26 permits interlocking at this point when the blind is manipulated as about to be described.

Strips 36 are formed from flexible material of any character having elastic qualities lwhereby the blind may be shifted from the position shown in Figure 2 to that shown in Figure 3. In other words, tapes 36 are of such length and strength as to normally hold the blind in a condition where bottom rail 38 is above the lowermost sill 58. When slats I8 are tilted to the overlapped condition shown in Figure 2-, downward pulling on rail 38 will extend the blind to a position where all the flanges 48 are interlocked. This position shown in Figure 3 is maintained by clamps 52, iixed to sill 58, and having a swingable loop and arm assembly 54 to' engage hooks 56 on bottom rail 38.

Clearance for the cross bars 48 and cord 42 is provided through notches 58 formed in slats I8. There is a notch 58 on each edge of the slats I8 in opposed relation, the width thereof being great enough to permit the interengagement of nanges 48 just described, and having a length to accommodate both the underlying cross-bar 48 and next cross bar 48 thereabove when the blind is closed. This length of notches 58 is necessary because of the staggered relation of cross-bars 48 on the inside and outside of cords 42 respectively, as shown in Figure 7.

Bodily swinging movement of the blind is prevented by use of a bracket shown in Figures 5 and 6. This bracket comprises a pair of L- shaped members 88 and 62, the latter being iixed to casing I8, and both members being hingedly joined as at 64. When in the open position shown in Figure 6 and disposed aljacent one end of the slats I8, the legs of the members 88 and 62 em brace the slats I8 as the same is moved to an open or horizontal position. When the slats I8 are closed, member 68 is swung to the position shown in Figure 5 to grip the slats I8, and is held by a hook 66 inserted in perforated projections 88 and 18 on sill I8 and the member 68 respectively.

Figure 8 shows a modied form of tape sup-y porting means, using the same form of U-shaped supporting head |88 mounted on sill |82, and raising cords |84. Similarly, the slats |86 have flanges |88 formed as at 48 in Figures 2 and 3. In this instance, however, opposed tapes |I8 are rivetted or otherwise aixed directly to anges |88 as at II2. Such construction eliminates the necessity of cross bars 48 and the notches in slats |86 as described above with respect to notches 58 need be only large enough to receive cords |84 when the slats |86 are closed. These tapes ||8 are elastic as are brackets III, all as described and for the reasons set forth with respect to tapes 36, and brackets 26. A cross bar ||3 takes the same form as cross bar 49 shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4.

The operation of the Venetian blind structure having been made clear throughout the foregoing speclfication, it becomes clear that when the blind is in the condition shown in Figures 1 and 3, rain, wind and the like will not enter despite failure to close windows I2 and furthermore absolute Privacy is obtained against outsiders when such is desired. Disengagement of clamps 52 places the blind in condition for tilting slats I8 to any desired angle, or to raise the entire assembly as shown in Figure 4.

While the Venet'an blind chosen for illustration takes a conventional form in many respects, it is contemplated that blinds may be made embodying the improvements forming a part of my invention without departing fromthe spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a Venetian blind, a plurality of horizontal slats; a number of pairs of opposed, vertical, longitudinally extensible strips having means for supporting the slats with the same disposed between the strips of each pair; tilting mechanism for said slats; interlocking elements on opposed longitudinal edges of said slats; and means for releasably holding the strips extended and said slats interlocked by said elements when the latter are tilted to relative overlapped positions.

2. In a Venetian blind, a plurality of horizontal slats; a number of pairs of opposed, vertical, longitudinally extensible strips having means for supporting the slats with the same disposed between the strips of each pair; tilting mechanism for said slats; interlocking elements on opposed longitudinal edges of said slats; and means for releasably holding the strips extended and said slats interlocked by said elements when the latter are tilted to relative overlapped positions, said elements comprising oppositely directed hooks extending throughout the length of the slats.

3. In a Venetian blind, a plurality of horizontal slats; a number of pairs of opposed, vertical, elastic strips having means for supporting the slats with the same disposed between the strips oi' each pair; tilting mechanism for said slats; interlocking elements on opposed longitudinal edges of said slats;v and means for releasably holding the strips longitudinally stretched and said slats interlocked by said elements when the latter are tilted to relative overlapped positions.

4. In a Venetian blind, a plurality of horizontal slats; a number of pairs of opposed, vertical, longitudinally extensible strips having means for supporting the slats with the same disposed between the strips of each pair; tilting mechanism for said slats; interlocking elements on opposed longitudinal edges of said slats; means for releasabiy holding the strips extended and said slats interlocked by said elements when the latter are tilted to relative overlapped positions; and structure for clamping the ends of said slats together as a unit when in said tilted, interlocked position.

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REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 62,348 Little Feb. 26, 1867 1,244,215 Lancaster Oct. 23, 1917 1,302,093 Shomaker Apr. 29, 191'9 1 2,298,892 Lorenzen oet. 13, 1942 

